Rachel Shukert is well known to Tablet followers as our pop culture expert, writing her Tattler column about everything from reality TV to the British royal family. She even wrote and performed an Oscar-night medley. Shukert is also the author of two memoirs: Have You No Shame? and Everything Is Going to Be Great.

In her new young-adult novel Starstruck, the first of a three-part series, Shukert focuses on pop culture, but from a historical perspective. Set in the 1930s, the Golden Age of Hollywood, the book follows three young women trying to break into the movie industry. The most shocking things in Starstruck happen off-screen, though: betrayals, unimaginable secrets, sexual misconduct, and manipulation from the studio chiefs who run the show. Tablet’s Managing Editor Wayne Hoffman sat down with Shukert to talk about her new book, her own experiences trying to break into show biz, and the changing roles of Jews in Hollywood. [Running time: 16:00.]

WAIT, WHY DO I HAVE TO PAY TO COMMENT?
Tablet is committed to bringing you the best, smartest, most enlightening and entertaining reporting and writing on Jewish life, all free of charge. We take pride in our community of readers, and are thrilled that you choose to engage with us in a way that is both thoughtful and thought-provoking. But the Internet, for all of its wonders, poses challenges to civilized and constructive discussion, allowing vocal—and, often, anonymous—minorities to drag it down with invective (and worse). Starting today, then, we are asking people who'd like to post comments on the site to pay a nominal fee—less a paywall than a gesture of your own commitment to the cause of great conversation. All proceeds go to helping us bring you the ambitious journalism that brought you here in the first place.

I NEED TO BE HEARD! BUT I DONT WANT TO PAY.
Readers can still interact with us free of charge via Facebook, Twitter, and our other social media channels, or write to us at letters@tabletmag.com. Each week, we’ll select the best letters and publish them in a new letters to the editor feature on the Scroll.

We hope this new largely symbolic measure will help us create a more pleasant and cultivated environment for all of our readers, and, as always, we thank you deeply for your support.

I would reccomend “the englishman’s boy” by Guy Vanderhague. It won the governor generals award in Canada and has a story line that deals with the cowboy pictures of the 30’s and the studio writers intertwined with those cowboys on the films who were also part of the cypress hill massacre where Americans jumped the border into Canada to fight the assinoiboine and black foot Indians. An excellent read and on topic with early hollywood studio politics.

British royal Prince Harry was reportedly stopped by police on his motorbike while on a date. He is said to have been taking a mystery blonde woman on his Ducati 848 across Putney Bridge. check out it http://wp.me/p1CkXq-1gk

Name (required)Email (required, will not be published)Website (optional)

Message

2000

Your comment may be no longer than 2,000 characters, approximately 400 words. HTML tags are not permitted, nor are more than two URLs per comment. We reserve the right to delete inappropriate comments.